Hiking Up High

The last time I blogged about hiking was 2 years ago, when my cousin Cindy finished her first year of her graduate PT (physical therapy) program at USC. Well it turns out she is graduating today, and naturally, we are so proud of her!

My uncle came into town for the celebration and we decided to take him on our new local hike, which is a 5 minute drive. One day when it's not 90 degrees by 9 in the morning, we may try to jog there and then do the 2 mile hike. I haven't done the stairs up to the top yet, but Cindy has. The 360 view no matter how you get up there is great- you can see the ocean, LAX, the Hollywood sign, and downtown on a clear day. Compared to Temescal Canyon, I would say this is easier, even though there isn't any shade along the way. If you have a water bottle, you can refill it at the top and even use a nice restroom facility. And if you're so inclined, why not try a jumping shot?

Though it's been years since I tried a toe touch, I have to say Cindy has some mad skills when it comes to taking jumping photos. She got down low with my iPhone 5, and after several normal jumping shots which turned out great, I told her I wanted to try something new. On my second toe touch, she captured this! I don't think I jumped all that high, but the combination of being on top of a hill, the background and the fact that she is shooting from ground level comes together to make it appear much higher. Thanks for all the funny comments on Instagram. I laughed out loud several times.

Big time props for Cindy capturing this shot. And bigger congrats to her for working hard and always taking the high road to reach her goals.